Today all of our pictures come from Flickr member ardelclaveria, who is currently in Manila. Isn’t it great to be able to look through so many photos from all over the world on Flickr? It still blows my mind. Just a teeny tiny little thumbnail of this image jumped out of our Fresh New Spaces pool and bowled me over:

This is such a great way to make the most of a small dining area. The bench keeps the view open, the banquette hugs the wall, and the shapes of the furniture and the fabrics are gorgeous choices.

A clear coffee table adds visual space, the tablescapes are brilliant, and the shaggy rug defines the sitting/lounging area. Note the way the bench straddles the two spaces and can be used in either area for seating.

Finally, I just really love ardel claveria’s photography skills. Taking interior shots that look this beautiful takes so much skill and talent. Thanks so much for adding them to our group!

It’s still winter, and I’m still trying to figure out where to stash the different coats that living in a climate that’s 65 degrees one day and 15 the next. Not all of us have the luxury of a coat closet, but there are plenty of options for freestanding coat racks and wall-mounted racks out there. Here’s what we’ve got to offer:

I am one of those people who looks at a garage and thinks about how to make it livable. However, I have nothing on this woman, who became her own general contractor, raided airplane and boat salvages for parts, built a base for a clawfoot-less tub, and even learned how to weld during the process of making her garage habitable. Check out the entire article and slideshow at The New York Times; it’s really inspiring. I like this idea a whole lot better than the yurt in Alaska thing.

She’s married now and has moved back into the main house, but she’s kept the garage as her woman cave. A garage outfitted for a performance and visual artist differs greatly from that of a couple of foot-long eating Rush aficionados:

TOTAL SIDE NOTE: Did anyone see the HILARIOUS letter to the editor to the Times about their recent articles – it mentioned the yurt people, the people who never turn on the heat, and some other article – the gist of it was basically “what’s the next trend, igloos?” That’s all I have to go on; I meant to cut it out and to share it with my fellow NYTimes Home readers because it was so funny – if you know where it is, please let me know in the comments section. I think it was published about two months ago.

photo from one of the funniest scenes ever, the “Tom Sawyer” montage – Dreamworks Pictures, I Love You Man